The Feds Are Addicted to Pot -- Even If You Aren't

[Moto-Man]

hXXp://www.alternet.org/story/144243/

This seems like the meta-justification around which some serious arguments need to be applied in rebuttal.

Cheers,

 

[OldHippieChick]

You are stating the obvious, it's always been big business and in a few best interests to perpetuate the myths. SO what are you gona do about it besides post on a MJ forum? We're not going to get anywhere until every single marijuana smoker or sympathizer actually VOTES every single time they are given the opportunity, all the way down to the local level, against every official who is opposted to legalized marijuana. What they have managed to do since the beginning of marajana prohibition is marginalize the sector of society who partake. That was the whole purpose in the "gateway drug" theory. In a black and white world, if you tell your youth you are either one or the other, they innocently fulfill the prophesy.

I had a felony drug charge in my late 20s and NO ONE TOLD ME I could vote after I'd fulfilled the terms of my probation. Even when I learned on my own that I could indeed vote and registered, my voter registration was "delayed" and I missed out on that first primary. They made me go downtown to the elections office telling me there was a "problem" with my application. When I got there, there was no problem - it was a delay tactic. I now know that's called profiling.... in a staunch conservative republican state, they don't want people with drug offenses voting because their studies show we are less likely to share their values.

You can post your rebuttal arguments all over the internet and sit around coffee tables and rant with your best buds about how messed up things are till you pass out stoned. But until you fight them on their own terms on their turf, nothings gona change. Your tax dollars will go to fight and exploit YOU and nothing will change.

I'd also add that when you support a candidate because he stands up for you - back him with real money. We gota level the playing field and use the same system they used against us.

 

[Tater]

Wow, great post OldHippieChick. You hit the nail on the head.

 

[dirtyolsouth]

:yeahthat: Above THAT... NICE post!

 

[meds4me]

You are stating the obvious, it's always been big business and in a few best interests to perpetuate the myths. SO what are you gona do about it besides post on a MJ forum? We're not going to get anywhere until every single marijuana smoker or sympathizer actually VOTES every single time they are given the opportunity, all the way down to the local level, against every official who is opposted to legalized marijuana. What they have managed to do since the beginning of marajana prohibition is marginalize the sector of society who partake. That was the whole purpose in the "gateway drug" theory. In a black and white world, if you tell your youth you are either one or the other, they innocently fulfill the prophesy.

I had a felony drug charge in my late 20s and NO ONE TOLD ME I could vote after I'd fulfilled the terms of my probation. Even when I learned on my own that I could indeed vote and registered, my voter registration was "delayed" and I missed out on that first primary. They made me go downtown to the elections office telling me there was a "problem" with my application. When I got there, there was no problem - it was a delay tactic. I now know that's called profiling.... in a staunch conservative republican state, they don't want people with drug offenses voting because their studies show we are less likely to share their values.

You can post your rebuttal arguments all over the internet and sit around coffee tables and rant with your best buds about how messed up things are till you pass out stoned. But until you fight them on their own terms on their turf, nothings gona change. Your tax dollars will go to fight and exploit YOU and nothing will change.

I'd also add that when you support a candidate because he stands up for you - back him with real money. We gota level the playing field and use the same system they used against us.

Get up on that stump and tell them peeps WE NEED youre Vote ! or you'll be the "next " causualty....~

 

[meds4me]

My Ex- Girlfriend is a property manager and i hear STORIES EVERYDAY. Recently she went to get locally cert for mangmnt. The LEO's Know that time is running out and they KNOW its a cash game Thats why the are so "hard" on it cause do you really think that all the jails / probation monies They arent going to give that up easily ~

 

[OldHippieChick]

My Ex- Girlfriend is a property manager and i hear STORIES EVERYDAY. Recently she went to get locally cert for mangmnt. The LEO's Know that time is running out and they KNOW its a cash game Thats why the are so "hard" on it cause do you really think that all the jails / probation monies They arent going to give that up easily ~

It's a much wider circle than that meds4me.... we've got lawyers and bondsmen who would be out of business without pot arrests.... we've got a penal system that's the largest employer in our state. We've got drug and alcohol treatment centers that count on insured offenders sentenced to 30 day treaments as a condition of their probations. We even have local charities that count on pot heads sentenced to community service to subsedize their payroll with free labor, labs to process drug screening for employers, and we've got the flip side - head shops selling potions to pass drug screens.... we all know it's not the white stuff people are trying to mask.... that's out of your system in 3 days. Fighting marijuana is a mega industry. What are these leaches going to do to earn a living if we succeed in destroying the myth that validates their existance? It IS a war and they have a lot to loose but it's not a moral war, it's a monetary war.

 

[greenguy]

I agree w OHC, however on another note I am not entirely against the idea that some users become "addicted" in some sense of the word to cannabis...I personally know people who have been high for 10 yrs straight and I doubt that there is anyone out there that would not call that addiction...atleast in some form.

 

[AcesUp]

I agree w OHC, however on another note I am not entirely against the idea that some users become "addicted" in some sense of the word to cannabis...I personally know people who have been high for 10 yrs straight and I doubt that there is anyone out there that would not call that addiction...atleast in some form.

So what. If I didn't get high I would be the biggest **** you ever met. While I am high, I am the nicest person you will meet. Well maybe not the nicest, but close.

 

[greenguy]

haha well in some sense you are correct...pot is probably most similar to caffiene in terms of addiction and will not do much harm to ones life..also weed does tend to give people a nicer calmer disposition

but on the other hand being dependant on any mind altering substance isnt a positive and our fav herb does tend to make people more apathetic & dare I say lazy hehe ....def in my case!

 

[legalize_freedom]

there are also millions addicted to many "legal" substances, like cigarettes, and booze

Great post OHC!

 

[greenguy]

True that legalize freedom ...It was always funny to me that people at AA Meetings always took ciggerette breaks...always seemed extremely hypocritical!!!

 

[legalize_freedom]

True that legalize freedom ...It was always funny to me that people at AA Meetings always took ciggerette breaks...always seemed extremely hypocritical!!!

And drink coffee like its water

 

[greenguy]

yep

 

[outdoorsman101]

You are stating the obvious, it's always been big business and in a few best interests to perpetuate the myths. SO what are you gona do about it besides post on a MJ forum? We're not going to get anywhere until every single marijuana smoker or sympathizer actually VOTES every single time they are given the opportunity, all the way down to the local level, against every official who is opposted to legalized marijuana. What they have managed to do since the beginning of marajana prohibition is marginalize the sector of society who partake. That was the whole purpose in the "gateway drug" theory. In a black and white world, if you tell your youth you are either one or the other, they innocently fulfill the prophesy.

I had a felony drug charge in my late 20s and NO ONE TOLD ME I could vote after I'd fulfilled the terms of my probation. Even when I learned on my own that I could indeed vote and registered, my voter registration was "delayed" and I missed out on that first primary. They made me go downtown to the elections office telling me there was a "problem" with my application. When I got there, there was no problem - it was a delay tactic. I now know that's called profiling.... in a staunch conservative republican state, they don't want people with drug offenses voting because their studies show we are less likely to share their values.

You can post your rebuttal arguments all over the internet and sit around coffee tables and rant with your best buds about how messed up things are till you pass out stoned. But until you fight them on their own terms on their turf, nothings gona change. Your tax dollars will go to fight and exploit YOU and nothing will change.

I'd also add that when you support a candidate because he stands up for you - back him with real money. We gota level the playing field and use the same system they used against us.

i like this

 

[greenguy]

aahh yes,the achilles heel of MJ advocacy...getting pot headz to the voting booths!

Thas a tuff one

 

[Moto-Man]

aahh yes,the achilles heel of MJ advocacy...getting pot headz to the voting booths!

Thas a tuff one

Nice little discussion here, folks. When I posted this, OHC, I have to admit I was high and sometimes I do state (or even restate) the obvious BTW, I'm an OHD, well.. my heart is still there sometimes, maybe I'm younger (than that still

Unfortunately, I am not able to vote in the USA because I am not a citizen. When I did apply some years ago, there was a leading question concerning past participation in a certain political party, which annoyed me greatly... so I demurred...

Anyway, the winds, they are 'a blowing, and the Zeitgeist is speeding about, and the dialectic is working too... But yeah GG, you are so right, I think, but I still feel hopeful that pot-heads in the US will vote somehow

Cheers,

 

[greenguy]

We just never get enough advocates to the booths...I hated it when I was in college bc there is always that political pot head in a smoking circle that has to start ranting and getting everyone all rild up...(lol this time ~OHC lol) ...I would always take just that moment to point out that statistically only like 2 of the twenty something year olds in the group were going to vote in the next election but all of them are shouting at that moment about how much they want change!

I would also like to take this moment to say how proud I was of the younger croud making a voting presence in the last election...congrats for coming out in record numbers!

 

[OldHippieChick]

True that -
I know political talk on this forum is a no no so will try to be as generic as possible....
You don't have to actually vote to get your message of discontent across to your opposition. They don't know if you are a registered voter or not. What I do is sign up for the oppositions news letters through their websites.... they are constantly sending me updates and asking for constituants feedback and responses to surveys and I wana know what dribble they are trying to tube feed me...... Every time I disagree with those MAROONS, I blast em back with a "comment". Just because I didn't vote for them doesn't mean they are not accountable to me for their actions as MY representative. If ONLY supporters respond to their surveys they get smug. I accept that I'm probably on their nut list - but I let em know they are on my nut list as well.

Take baby steps if you gota - but take the FIRST step now!

 

[legalize_freedom]

I like the way you think OHC!